Medical technology transfer in major Chinese hospitals

The objective of this article is to describe and analyze the decision-making process and its consequences for medical technology transfer in China. Data were obtained in 1987 from 35 elite teaching hospitals affiliated with 13 medical universities, directly supervised by the Ministry of Health in the People's Republic of China. This article focuses on three kinds of diagnostic equipment: computerized tomographs, ultrasonic diagnostic units, and high-power x-ray diagnostic apparatuses. Decision-making on the transfer of medical technology in China is decentralized. Most hospitals rely on foreign medical sales representatives and medical exhibits, and their decisions on the acquisition of equipment rely more on the services available than on the price of the product. Chinese hospitals also encounter serious infrastructure problems when buying medical equipment. A number of alternatives are suggested for improving the efficiency of medical technology transfer in China.